United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides discussed "the way forward on the Cyprus issue," the United Nations said in a statement.
The meeting took place in New York on the afternoon of Thursday, 24 September. (Cyprus time).
Informed sources said Guterres remains strongly committed to efforts to achieve substantive progress on the Cyprus issue before the end of his term in office and also considers it feasible for another expanded meeting on Cyprus to be convened.
The same sources indicate that the Turkish side continues, in principle, to agree to such a prospect, although no substantive change in its rhetoric has been recorded so far.
The UN Secretary-General is said to have responded positively to the new, specific ideas and proposals presented to him by the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, regarding the next steps on the Cyprus issue. According to the sources, he acknowledged that these could provide a basis on which progress could be built.
The same sources add that President Christodoulides expressed his willingness to extend his stay in New York, should the conditions arise for a joint meeting. They said that the other side would be sounded out and, depending on its response, the necessary arrangements would be made.
They also described as “particularly positive” a reference by the Secretary-General to the regional role of the Republic of Cyprus. According to the sources, he acknowledged and praised Cyprus’ contribution to managing regional crises, expressed his gratitude for the initiatives it has undertaken, and spoke of excellent cooperation with Cyprus.
Christodoulides expressed his sincere appreciation for UN Secretary General's sustained efforts towards the reunification of Cyprus, in a message he wrote at the the Book of Visitors of the United Nations, at the UN Headquarters, in New York, on the sidelines of his meeting with the UNSG.
In his message, the President Christodoulides wrote that "as H.E. the UN Secretary-General A. Guterres approaches his final days in office, I express my sincere appreciation for his sustained efforts towards the reunification of Cyprus."
The President of the Republic added that "bringing the progress achieved during his tenure to fruition, through a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue, in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, would constitute an enduring legacy of his distinguished service."
He further reaffirmed "my unwavering commitment to engage actively towards the resumption of negotiations and the reunification of Cyprus."
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results due to Turkish intransigence. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whose term nears its end, announced he would convene another meeting in broader format, after adequate preparation, but gave no timeline. He secured to that end the consensus of both sides and of the guarantor powers. María Angela Holguín, Guterres’ Personal Envoy on Cyprus, is tasked to engage with the parties. Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto acts as the European Commission’s Special Representative for Cyprus, succeeding EU special envoy Johannes Hahn.
(Source: CNA)
